Valve-gear for engines.



No. 685 ,l3l. Patented Oct. 22, I90I.

wQc. GORDON. VALVE GEAR-F08 ENGINES.

(Application filed May 25, 1901. Modem 2 Sheats'-Shuet l.

N0. 685,13I. 4 Patented Oct. 22, I90l.

W. C. GORDON.

VALVE GEAR FOR ENGINES.

(Application filed May 25, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

1w: 94mm: P'zrzns m, FHOTD-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, n c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. GORDON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JEFFERSON GARY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VA VE-GEAR FOR ENGINES.

smmcmm forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,131 dated October 22, 190i.

Application 'fiia May 25, 1901.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. GORDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at St." Louis, State of Missouri, have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Valve- Gear for Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in steam-engines; and it consists in the novel construction of engine more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva-' tion of the cylinder and valve-gear with reversing-lever in one of its extreme positions. Fig. 2 is a similar view with reversing-lever in the other extreme position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing the upper t'app'et-yoke in position to be struck by the cross-head. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line & 4 of Fig. 2, showing the .lower tappet-yoke in position to be struck by the cross-head, thejupper tappet-yoke being tilted out of engagement. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through the steam -chest, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on 'line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section taken through the steam-valve stuffing-box on line 77 of Fig. 5, and Fig. Sis a side elevation of the engine complete; v

The present invention has relation to that class of engines known as the tappet type, or that form in which the steam-valve is operated without an eccentric.

My invention is specially adapted to a double-acting" stearmengine', and has for its object to produce an engine which may be readily reversible, one under ready control of the operator, one particularly applicable to stationary engines,'one which is simple in constr'uction'and perfect'in operation, and one possessingfu'rther andother advantages better apparent from a detailed description thereof, which is as follows. 7

Referring to the drawings, 0 represents the cylinder, and F a frame located in front thereof. I

link 12.

W is the fly-wheel, the crank-arm A of Serial No. 61,943. in niodel.)

whose shaft is connected, by means of connecting-rod R, to the cross-head H, The latter is connected to the piston-rod p,to which the vpiston P is secured. The crosshead is guided in its travel on the track or way 1-, forming a part of the frame F. The crosshead at the end of each stroke shifts the position of the steam-valve V to secure the necessary admission of the steam on opposite sides of the piston and permit its exhaust at the proper moment.

The mechanism by which the shifting of the steam-valve is efiected is as follows: Connected to one end of the steam-valve is the upper curved end of a reciprocating rod 2, the opposite end being loosely mounted in a bearing 3 on the frame F. Below the rod 2 is a similar reciprocating rod 2', mounted in bearings 3 3. Mounted on the rod 2 and adapted to reciprocate with it is a tappet yoke or frame 4, which, while it is freely rotatable about the rod 2, is not movable longitudinallyalong the same. Mounted on the rod 2 and adapted to reciprocate with it is a similar tappe t-yoke 4:,which likewise is freely rotatable about the rod 2, but not movable longitudinally along the rod. The I medial portion of the yoke 4 has formed'thereon a V-shaped fork 5, the base of which is always in engagement with the lower end of a lever 6,medially pivotedon a rod 9,whose inner end is secured to a bar 7, forminga part of the frame'F, the" upper end of the lever 6 being pivotally secured to a connecting-link 8,which couples said lever to the yoke 4:. From the connections described it is apparent that as one yokeand its supporting-rod reciprocate in one direction the adjacent yoke andits supporting-rod will travel in the opposite direction, the one being operated from the other through the lever 6 and link 8.

Pivotally mounted on the horizontal rod 9, carried by the frame F, is the reversing-lever 10, the base of which carries the arms 11 11, the arm 11 being connected to the yoked by a swinging link 12, loosely embracing the basal portion of the same, the link 12 being coupled to a rigid link 12", and the arm 11 being connected to the yoke 4 by a similar By rocking the reversing-lever to the position indicated in Fig. 1 the tappetyoke 4 will be rocked to a position to permit the reciprocating cross-head to impact therewith (see Fig. 3) at the end of each strike thereof, thus shifting the steam-valve to the positions necessary to allow for the proper admission of live steam into the cylinder and the simultaneous exhaust therefrom of the steam on the exhaust side of the piston. When the reversing-lever is rocked to the position indicated in Fig. 2, the yoke 4 will be rocked out of engagement with the cross-head and the yoke 4 rocked into engaging or impacting position, this action reversing the direction of the reciprocations of the yokes and that of the steam-valve and reversing the direction of rotation of the engine, as will presently more fully appear.

The steam-valve in the present instance comprises two parallel pipes 13 13, whose opposite ends are adapted to communicate with the cylinder-ports 14 14, through which the steam enters into and escapes out of the cylinder. The pipes 13 13 operate in a stuifing-loox 15, provided with transverse passages or ports 16 16, opening, respectively, into the steamchest S and into the steam-valve through elongated openings 17 17 of the component pipes thereof. The steam is fed to the steamchest through steam pipe 18, there being mounted rotatably within the steam-chest the exhaust-pipe 19, (having a hearing or spindle 20 in the wall of the stuffing-box,) the outer projecting end of the said exhaust-pipe having secured thereto an arm 21, which is connected to the reversing-lever by a connectingrod 22, the arm 21 being provided on the opposite side with a handle-bar 23. The inner end of the exhaust-pipe 19 is provided with two branches 24 24, one of the branches 24 being adapted to cover the port 16 when the parts occupy the position in Figs. 1 and 3 and the branch 24 covering the port 16 when the reversing-lever is shifted to the position indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. It will be observed that the reversing-lever is shifted by pushing the handle-bar 23 in one direction or the other, and in this act the exhaust-pipe is rotated, so that for one position of the branches 24 24 of the latter the port 16 becomes the live-steam port and for the other position the port 16 becomes the live-steam port, the exhaust escaping through port 16. (See Fig. 6.)

The full position indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 corresponds to the positions of the parts in Figs. 1 and 3, and with these before us the operation of the engine is readily explained.

Steam enters the steam-chest 8 through steam-pipe 18, thence passing through port 16, opening 17, pipe 13, and port 14 into the cylinder, forcing the piston to the right, (see Fig. 1,) the exhaust escaping through port 14,pipe 13, opening 17, port 16, branch 24, and out through exhaust-pipe 19. When the piston has about reached the limit of its righthand stroke, the cross-head strikes the tappet-yoke 4 and shoves the latter and the valve V to the right, (see Fig. 2,) the live steam now passing into the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston and driving the same in the opposite direction, the action of the pipes 13,13, 24, and 19 remaining the same. Suppose, however, that the operator by the time the piston is half-way on such return stroke suddenly reverses the lever 10. (see Fig. 2.) Then from the connections above set forth the tappet-yoke 4 will be rocked out of engagement and yoke 4 be brought into the path of the cross-head H and the latter be now in a position to operate the steam-valves through said yoke 4, lever 6, and link 8; but with this change in the position of the reversinglever there has also been rotated about its axis the exhaust-pipe 19 and its branches 24 24, the branch 24 now covering the port 10 (see dotted position, Fig. 6) and branch 24 uncovering the port 16. The live steam now passes from the steam-chest through the port 16, opening 17, pipe 13, and port 14 into the cylinder, suddenly driving the piston (advancing toward the left in Fig. 2) in the reverse direction and reversing the engine, the exhaust being forced through port 14, pipe 13, opening 17, Fig. 7, port 16, branch 24, and out through exhaust-pipe 19, so that when the engine is running in one direction the pipe 13 and port 16 conduct live steam and pipe 13 and port 16 exhaust-steam, and when running in the opposite direction the reverse of these conditions is the rule.

In Figs. 2 and 4 the tappet-yoke 4 is in position to be struck by the cross-head at the end of each stroke thereof, the valve V being operated through the lever 6 and link 8, as already explained. Of course if the reversing-lever is swung back to its original position the engine will again run as before the first reversal.

It is apparent, of course, that the details herein may in a measure be departed from without affecting the nature or spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In an engine, a cylinder, a reciprocating piston, therefor, a piston-rod, a steam-valve controlling the admission of steam into, and exhaust from the cylinder, tappets located on opposite sides of the path of the pistonrod, one of said tappets being connected to the steam-valve, devices for causing either one tappet or the other to be struck during the reciprocations of the piston, and suitable connections between the tappets for producing a simultaneous reciprocation thereof in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

2. In an engine, a cylinder and steam-valve therefor, a piston, a pair of rotatable and reciprocating tappets, devices carried by the piston-rod adapted to contact with one of the tappets at a time and intermediate connec= tions between the tappets for producing a simultaneous reciprocation thereof in opp0= site directions, substantially as set forth.

3. In an engine a cylinder, a steam-va1Ve therefor, a piston and piston-rod, a cross= head, suitable rotatable reciprocating tappet frames or yokes adapted to be struck one at a time by the cross-head, intermediate connections between the tappets for producing a simultaneous reciprocation thereof in opposite directions, and devices under the control of the operator for alternately bringing one or the other tappet-frame into position to be struck by the cross-head when near the end of its stroke, substantially as set forth.

4. In an engine, a cylinder, a steam-valve therefor, a piston and piston-rod, a crosshead, a rotatable reciprocating tappet yoke or frame disposed on each side of the crosshead, one of the tappet-yokes being connected to the steam-valve, a lever pivoted between the yokes, a link connecting one end of the lever to the yoke having direct connection with the steam-valve, the opposite end of the lever being in cooperative engagement with the opposite yoke, a swinging reversing-lever pivoted in the line of the axis of the aforesaid lever, and suitable linked connections between the reversing-lever and the yokes, whereby upon swinging the reversing-lever in one direction, one of the yokes shall be rocked in the path of' the cross-head, and when swung in the opposite direction, the other yoke shall be brought into like relation while the first yoke is disengaged, the parts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an engine a suitable steam-chest, a reciprocating steam-valve, a stuffing-box for said valve, the latter having two passages or pipes whose opposite ends are adapted to establish communication with the corresponding ends ofthe cylinder, ports leading from the stuffing-box to the steam-chest, elongated openings formed in the component pipes or passages of the steam-valve and in commu nication with the said ports, a rotatable exhaust-pipe extending from the steam-chest and having inner branches adapted each to cover or uncover one of the aforesaid ports according to the degree of rotation imparted to the exhaust-pipe, the parts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' 6. In an engine, a steam-chest reciprocating steam-valve cooperatively connected therewith and establishing communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, tappets actuated by the reciprocations of the piston, intermediate connections between one of the tappets and the steam-valve, a rotatable exhaust-pipe leading from the steam-chest, a reversing-lever, intermediate connections between the reversing-lever and the rotatable exhaust-pipe, whereby the swinging of the reversing-lever in either direction will cause a corresponding rotation of the exhaust-pipe, branches carried bythe exhaust-pipe for permitting the live steam to enter either end ofthe cylinder through the steam-valve and exhaust from the opposite end through a separate passage of said valve, according to the direction in which the reversing lever is swung, substantially as set forth.

7. In an engine, a steam-chest, a rotatable exhaust-pipe, a slide-valve, a reversing-lever, and intermediate connections between the exhaust pipe and reversing-lever, whereby upon the rotation of the said pipe, an oscillating movement will be imparted to the reversing-lever substantially as set forth.

8. In an engine a slide-valve having two component pipes or sections adapted to establish communication with opposite ends of the cylinder, and means under the control of the operator for directing the live steam through one pipe or the other, depending on the direction in which the engine is to run, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. GORDON.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, G. L. BELFRY. 

